Toyo’s Singular Tribute to Hot Rods
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As America’s baby boom generation ages and the twentysomethings start making money, a change is occurring in the car world.
Hot rods, those quintessential American road rockets lovingly crafted from Fords and Chevys and Plymouths, are rolling off the roads and into collections while a new crop of speedsters--lovingly crafted from Hondas and Toyotas and Mazdas--are beginning to show up at the Sunday afternoon drag races.
The folks at Toyo Tire Co. in Cypress have seen the trend and are hoping to take advantage of it by making their brand the tire of choice among the new hot rodders.
To launch the effort, Toyo created an ad that pays homage to the old and says hello to the new.
The colorful ad pictures a flame-bedecked, bright yellow, fat-tired 1940 Ford DeLuxe coupe over the legend: “What a cool 50 years it’s been, daddy-o.”
Directly beneath is a flame-bedecked, bright red, 1998 Mazda Miata tricked out with oversize custom wheels and low-profile, high-performance Toyo tires. The legend beneath it: “What a bitchin’ 50 years it’s gonna be, dude.”
Even without the words, the juxtaposition of the two photos tells the story.
Like the custom cars it celebrates, the ad is a one-of-a kind.
Other than its appearance here, it is scheduled for a single commercial run--in the just-published 50th anniversary issue of Hot Rod magazine.
John O’Dell covers major Orange County corporations and manufacturing for The Times. He can be reached at (714) 966-5831 and at [email protected].
